Why 'Blogging' Isn’t For Me.

Why I wanted to start.

I chose to set up a website before I started travelling, imagining all the things I would get up to and that I would like to share with you. NadeOnTheMove.com was intended to be a Blog. A place where I would share my photos, experiences, advice on how you could do it too and more.

It was back when I had finally, after months of battling the competition in the Remote Work world, that I landed my first remote job. Life became, at the click of a send button, a new adventure. My shoulders, which had been up by my ears with unnecessary stress, had begun to relax.

Office life was very hard for me physiologically and it caused me a lot of issues which I'll not get into too deep here. But, I felt enclosed in four walls only able to leave or move around them with the permission of another, who usually would abuse this power. Seeing the eyes of those ‘bosses’ especially the newly promoted ones who wanted to make it clear that you were no longer on their level.

I found that for many years, being in these office environments that I couldn’t be myself, I certainly couldn’t swear like a trooper which sometimes helps me through the day when the work I which I was doing was a pile of shit. Anyhow, as usual, I am steering off track.

Being in that setting not many people liked me, I spoke my mind too often in what I thought was an assertive manner, I brought Ideas to the table which were not asked for, but if something is broken, fix it! They certainly didn’t like my view that I work to live and I will never live to work! Oh, not forgetting that I like to have a laugh, you know, make a joke or two.. nope, that was also a nope.

So, getting back to my point. Seeing this new found freedom, in a company of like-minded people. People who laughed and joked around and a wonderful CEO who got stuck in with us! Never has she commanded, given me cause to think that I am under 'her rule' or that I cannot speak my mind. Finally, someone who knows how to be a CEO.

Anyway, again I think I got a little lost there. With this all happening around me, I got excited! I wanted everyone to experience what I had found. Seeing the sad faces and broken body language of those around my old office, unable to admit that they are not happy. I wanted what I had found to be known, not to show off like “look at me I am free” - I wanted people to see that little old me found my happy place and I was more than willing to help those who wanted it too!

Reading into these posts, you can see my desperate need to share and get you guys off your asses, to stop complaining and change your life. There really is something for everyone.

Starting Out

From my earliest posts, you will see that I set out to tell stories. I wanted to share from where my passion for moving around had come from. There are many people who know me who will say that I can’t stay in one place for 2 minutes and I wanted to tell that story and where it has taken me.

You can see how I set off telling stories. But, seeing that they didn’t fly too well with my audience, I started to worry that what I wrote wasn’t good enough or that no one was really interested in what I have to say.

This lead me to create “Advice” posts with top tips or places to visit like:

My passion for writing faded quickly as I was writing for all the wrong reasons.

Photos, Photos, Photos

Looking around on a daily basis and more so now that I am in Thailand, I see that a lot of people are trying to be an online ‘Influencer’ or instead of sitting and watching the sunset, enjoying that new tasty dish, or feeling the fresh water over their toes, people spend most of their time worried about angles, lighting, getting their good side or striking a pose.

Now, I have been guilty of doing this! I found the more I posted, I needed photos, I needed to capture the moments and things which I wanted to talk about because people don’t read anymore. They need photo references or pretty things to look at to be inspired to continue reading.

I found that especially my first few months through Europe, I wasn’t taking photos for myself, but just to share with you. Now, hold your horses before you started getting offended! I enjoy sharing with you. But, I allowed myself to be consumed by having the right photos for my posts. I saw most of Europe through a lens instead of enjoying the moments and really taking in the beauty around me.

However, experiencing that feeling has allowed me to see the right balance. Share stories with you, yet take moments for me. How can I tell you a real story if I don’t allow myself to actually live it?

Advice Advice Advice.

Everyone has an opinion. It has always been this way and everyone is certainly entitled to one. However, I have chosen to ignore most of it when it has come to my writing. Stubborn? You might say. But, I don’t want to write in a way I don’t feel comfortable because of that good all writer's block will build a permanent wall around me.

Ok, so at one point I did ask for advice because I wasn’t sure what I was doing and seeing that not many people were reading, I was on the verge of packing it in, giving it up as a bad job, calling it a day, copping out, You know what I mean.

There was one lady who came in and criticised the size of my writing. She advised me to increase my font as people don’t like to read small font. Although, I have seen many people read books and not write off to the author for a larger font, who am I, ehy? Stubborn? I know.

Then, another waltzed in to give her two penn'orth (thoughts) and came back to be with some sound advice. Sinead, I feel you have far too many exclamation marks and it is very distracting. Well! I am! Very! Sorry!! About !!! that dear!!! Stubborn? I KNOW!!!

A lot of people told me to niche down, focus in on a topic and talk about that. However, to niche would mean to tell many things about the same thing and to be fair, knowing my self, I would be bored in a week. I want to tell stores about things along the way, silly things, serious things, sad or even damn right hilarious things. Not one subject, but across the board! - My niche is - Stories about anything. Stubborn? Personally, I am not sure I am with this one.

But, I am sick to the back teeth of hearing that I should monetise my blog, reach out to companies and create affiliate links. There are many people that do this. But, I don’t want to sell you something just because I make money off of the back of it.

I don’t want to push you into believing that this product, trip or whatever is the right thing for you when I do not believe it myself. I would rather tell a good story and make nothing than misguide you and be rich. Not everyone thinks this way… So stubborn aren't they?

Deadlines

Further on down the line I found myself shoulders we back up around my ears again. I was stressed!

I made the situation I was in all by myself. I was promising posts on Tuesdays, welcoming on Wednesdays, throwbacks on Thursdays, Pictures on Friday and Saturday, then Sunday or Monday would have a quote.

Throughout the week my mind never rested, thinking I need to write, I have to write because I have told everyone I will! I let it consume me to the point where I found it completely unenjoyable.

If that is what blogging is, then I am not a blogger. I don't have content writers and never will because they can’t hit the style I want them to, their mind doesn’t tick like these cogs here! (!!! Few extra for that lady)

Bye Social Life

I found eventually, that Giuseppe was asking me to go out on Friday and/or the Saturday after work and I immediately thought to myself. When will I write? I turn him down quite a few times because of the promises I had made and the stress to write that I had put myself under!

No more! I have decided to put more focus on telling a few short stories on my Instagram, which you can feel free to pop along and see here @nadeonthemove

I will, from time to time pop some stories on here too don't go worrying (I know you are super worried right now), but I would like to write with the passion I started with, no stress and enjoy talking about what we get up to on our trip.

Why do people travel? For themselves or to show others what they are doing?

I would like to enjoy myself, love what I get up to, then share some stories. Not do stuff just to do a “look at me” photos or “look we are doing now” post or “look how great travelling is”

We are having the time of our lives, seeing things we have never seen before, tasting new flavours and swimming in oceans that are crystal clear. Living our dream of experiencing this.

Sometimes, it is shit:

Sometimes you are stuck on a stinky bus for 7 hours which a warm breeze they call aircon.

There are times you feeling seasick on a ferry and there's no getting off.

Other times you are waiting for 20 minutes in the scorching heat and humidity. with your heavy bags on your back, for your taxi and it decides to cancel on you 2 mins away!

There are times when you are stretching the pennies because work isn’t consistent.

There are other times when you are so hot you cannot sleep properly for days and you have been eaten alive by mosquitoes so your legs are swollen, but look how pretty I am on Instagram.